


#39: "Contagious"

by theskywasblue



Series: 100 days, 100 prompts [5]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Drabble Collection, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-06
Updated: 2017-02-06
Packaged: 2018-09-22 08:24:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9596189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theskywasblue/pseuds/theskywasblue
Summary: It's just until you feel better...





	

**Author's Note:**

> Part of 100 days, 100 prompts

The door slammed. 

One of the guards prodded Tom along with his baton, and he fell in line behind the others, moving in lock-step through the containment centre corridor. The girl in front of him was crying softly, though no one seemed particularly concerned.

Orderlies - some armed with batons and sun sticks, others with scanners and tablets - began funneling them off into different rooms, scanning the bracelets around their wrists and reciting different series of numbers that held meanings Tom didn’t understand. He tried to puzzle them out, but he could think only of his mother’s face, streaked with tears, and his father saying, _it’s just until you feel better. A few days, maybe._

_But I’m not sick._

“I’m not sick!”

The line had stopped without Tom noticing, and he crashed into in the girl in front of him, who stumbled, and shrank to the ground, her hands over her head, her sobs drowned out by the boy ahead of them, screaming.

“I’m not sick! I’m not fucking sick!” He was tall; Tom could see the back of his curly, dark head, and not much else. People in the line ahead shrank back as the orderlies closed in on him. “Don’t fucking touch me!”

One of the orderlies grabbed for his arm, and the boy swung back immediately, catching the man in the jaw with a closed fist, sending him sprawling to the floor. One of the nurses screamed and the line split apart like roaches scattering as the orderlies rushed to help the fallen man, and to restrain the boy, who thrashed against them, screaming like a wild thing, kicking, clawing and spitting.

“I’m not sick! I’m not sick! I’m not sick!”

Tom closed his eyes, and put his hands over his ears until the screaming stopped.


End file.
